"When I was little, "Mom" meant let people be themselves so Dad doesn’t leave us for a groupie and we can keep food on the table and a roof over our heads. “Mom” meant do your own thing, because my mom didn’t have time to play with us or teach us conflict resolution—she was too busy making sure my dad didn’t leave us for a groupie. “Mom” meant yell a lot to get us to stop screaming so Dad can sleep so he can work and doesn’t leave us for a groupie.”

“By the time I was ready to leave home, the definition of “Mom” had expanded to include unfair rule through financial bondage, control through psychological and emotional manipulation, and profound apathy.”

"When I was little, "Mom" meant let people be themselves so Dad doesn’t leave us for a groupie and we can keep food on the table and a roof over our heads. “Mom” meant do your own thing, because my mom didn’t have time to play with us or teach us conflict resolution—she was too busy making sure my dad didn’t leave us for a groupie. “Mom” meant yell a lot to get us to stop screaming so Dad can sleep so he can work and doesn’t leave us for a groupie.”

“By the time I was ready to leave home, the definition of “Mom” had expanded to include unfair rule through financial bondage, control through psychological and emotional manipulation, and profound apathy.”

Ironically, the standout in a book meant to be more funny than functional isn’t a laugh-a-word piece but an introspective (and not at all self-indulgent) essay from the unfortunately named Moon Unit Zappa. Describing her childhood as daughter of the famous rocker Frank as the very reason she has turned into a Type A parent, Zappa could be the poster child for “my parents sucked, but I still decided to procreate.” Which, again, sounds awfully familiar to half of today’s parents.

But she’s also refreshingly aware that she is no more expert than the rest of us.

“Despite all the ways I am trying desperately to do the job differently than my parents, I cannot claim with any certainty that I am doing it any better,” Zappa says.

I found MZ to be rather bitter towards her mother and resentful towards her father. While I am by no means a big GZ defender, the job of a mother being as difficult as it is under the best of circumstances, I could only imagine the problems GZ faced in the extremely unique rock environment of the Zappa household. I find it highly unusual that she complains about her mother having the foresight to encourage birth control, when in this modern world teenage pregnancy is bordering on a plague that not even the governor of Alaska could avoid by preaching abstinence. Her statement concerning the groupie whore who moves in their basement, brought to mind a terrible book I tried to read but couldn’t finish by a women who claimed to be FZ’s teenage pet and his muse for I believe the Hot Rats album. Since I had read somewhere after I gave up on the book that someone claimed her book was false, I wonder if this reinforces the women’s claim. Lastly she throws out that her father was a rock star who toured, but I find that to be a minimalist way of putting it. Quite frankly I consider him a genius and that lends to hard work and productivity, unfair for the children maybe, but it was in his nature. In Frank’s defense most geniuses’ have had affairs while trying to maintain strong relationships with their families, and I would have to say Frank did a better job than a lot of other geniuses’ who had a wondering eye. A short list of philandering geniuses’ would include Albert Einstein, Picasso, Earnest Hemmingway, etc… No offense to our NY brotherhood but the New York City life is pretentious and everyone seems to go to a therapist to sort out their past, and seem to come out with their parents in the roll of monsters. Could her childhood have been that terrible, maybe, but when the therapy focuses on all that is bad then the view is skewed bad. I am sure if the therapy had focused on all that was good we would be getting a different story, but positive therapy probably wouldn’t pay well and everybody loves a jerry Springer moment (be honest).

Good read, Plook, but please, someone tell me, why is it that whenever someone criticizes Frank Zappa in the slightest that person is labeled as 'bitter?'

I am only speaking of what MZ wrote, it came off as bitter and I tried my best to not use my rose colored FZ glass's. By the way I would not be the least bit surprised if it's all true, remeber FZ &GZ were Freaks which was considered way south of hippies at the time.

I dunno, Moon is good enough a writer to bring a lot more than plain old bitterness to the table. I thought it was moving, plenty sad, but with just the right amount of humor to it.It made me want to read her novel.

I dunno, Moon is good enough a writer to bring a lot more than plain old bitterness to the table. I thought it was moving, plenty sad, but with just the right amount of humor to it.It made me want to read her novel.

I agree excellently written and some humor, maybe the word bitter was to strong. She had the flavor of "post therapy", she may be a new generations Carrie Fisher and when she makes-up with GZ years from now they can write a book together, and god knows who they would blame then for their problems.

Her delicious sarcasm aside, what does Moon stand to gain by issuing such statements? I wonder if this might end up as a legal issue? Her words being used without her explicit permission, etc.?

Frank's music is the best. That can't ever excuse him from being human. Which means there's hope for all of us...

I live in a house of women and have personally raised 2 daughters along with 3 other girls for various reasons for 2 -4 years with my wife (they are all well rounded adults now…whew). Having this high exposure to estrogen has had a side effect of allowing me into the world of women, their gossip shows, and tell all books. I can tell you that this type of tell all attitude is a direct result of her aforementioned therapy. That is why I made the earlier comment in reference to Carrie Fisher, she is a classic example, but there are many others. Once you have completed your therapy and the appropriate people to blame for your problems are identified, you are encouraged to go out and confront them or talk about them publicly. The more famous you are the louder you are to proclaim, with MZ’s background this could be a carrier move since these type of things often can become Novels, then Broadway Plays, movies, and finally a TV show (that is usually unidentifiable with the book). Hey I would not be surprised if it didn’t at least make it as a play, what I read was well written and a page turner you could not put down.

“By the time I was ready to leave home, the definition of “Mom” had expanded to include unfair rule through financial bondage, control through psychological and emotional manipulation, and profound apathy.”

And from Diva's mouth- "I wished for a job, and money so I could be independent of my mom..."This is a 30 year old woman talking. Wow, Moon bitter? I don't think so. I think she's just telling it like it is.

“By the time I was ready to leave home, the definition of “Mom” had expanded to include unfair rule through financial bondage, control through psychological and emotional manipulation, and profound apathy.”

And from Diva's mouth- "I wished for a job, and money so I could be independent of my mom..."This is a 30 year old woman talking. Wow, Moon bitter? I don't think so. I think she's just telling it like it is.

No doubt she is, but the quote you chose doesn't even scratch the major thrust of what she describes as a childhood of pain due to an absentee father and an enabling mother, 90% of what she says is post therapy 101. I have seen this before and the therapist have tendency to open a wound in such a way that it is almost worse the original injury, this is why the patients come out of the experience with such almost religious like zeal ready to bare their healing heart for all to see. They usually settle down after a few years and then come to terms with themselves. Beware of therapy, religious awakenings, cults, and twelve step programs. They have a way of getting people on board by super magnifying ones past to the point that a pimple looks like a bullet wound.

To be honest I don't think that their opinion is unique for women in the world. Situation may be rare, but many, many ladies I know claim to have been badly raised while they actually don't really have all that much reason to complain.

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